WHAT HAPPENED?

‘Mystery’ as Hundreds of Dead Birds Wash Up on Beach

Scientists are stumped.

Scientists are unsure how approximately 200 birds died and washed up along Changa Beach in northern Chile's Coquimbo province. Video posted by Reuters shows scores of the dead animals lining the popular beach as authorities, wearing hazmat gear, collect samples for testing in Santiago. Authorities fear the birds died of a massive bird flu contagion event but will not confirm until the tests have been completed, instead warning residents against touching or moving the birds to avoid sickness. It’s not the first time such an event has happened. In 2013, approximately 600 dead birds and marine animals washed up on the Chilean coast near La Serena, with police at the time suggesting explosives may have been used by fishermen in a destructive practice known as blast fishing, where incendiary devices are used to stun or kill schools of fish.